This application is related by subject matter to non-provisional U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/931,858, also entitled “Intelligent Facility Device,” filed contemporaneously herewith, which is incorporated, in its entirety, herein by reference.
Secure facilities often face security risks and challenges that go beyond those faced in conventional environments. Security threats can come from both external and internal sources. Often the internal threats are more concerning than external threats. This is particularly the case in correctional facility environments, where inmates may attempt to harm other people or property.
In certain situations, residents of secure facilities may be given access to computing devices, such as personal tablet devices. The residents may use the tablet devices to access media, documents, books, account information, and other types of information. Conventional tablet devices may include wireless communication capabilities for allowing the resident to access facility information systems.
The resident's access to the facility information systems may be restricted or limited. For example, residents of secure facilities are often restricted to access of internal networks. Also, other content restrictions may be placed on the resident. Usage timing or duration limits may also be placed on the resident.
One particular security risk may include a resident attempting to circumvent or otherwise attack or hack usage limitations or restrictions. Additional risks include residents attempting to conduct unauthorized communications, either with other residents of the facility or with external contacts. Residents may also attempt to gain access to facility account information, or other sensitive information, without authorization. Many such risks exist, and indeed, many such risks may be unknown to system administrators at the time that security policies are implemented. For example if rouge wireless networks or other network hotspots are accessed by unauthorized residents of a controlled environment covertly then unauthorized pictures or videos could be distributed by unauthorized residents of the controlled environment facility to other inmates or the public. Additionally, criminals may be able to continue directing or carrying on criminal acts while in prison if they gain unauthorized network access.
In many environments, residents may be granted limited access to the facility information systems through wireless access points. Conventional wireless access points may not have sufficient security features for implementation in a secure facility environment because of the risks described above, and because of many other risks.